


Caucus Day

by Cam719



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-15
Updated: 2009-08-15
Packaged: 2019-05-15 10:46:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cam719/pseuds/Cam719
Summary: Josh and Donna take their son Ben to the Iowa Caucus.





	Caucus Day

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Title: Caucus Day  
Author: Cathy (www.cathyswestwing.com)  
Rating: Everyone  
Timeline: Post Santos, The Lyman’s are campaign consultants  
Disclaimer: Josh and Donna are not mine, but all the other are.  
A/N: This came out of my experience at our Senate District Caucus, where I was reminded  
that the Democratic Party is anything but organized. It was lively, though.

“Oh, for God’s sake. Can we get on with this please?” Josh Lyman protested softly from his  
seat at an Iowa Caucus site. Two people at the podium were currently arguing about  
whether or not to delay gaveling in the caucus because there were still a lot of people  
waiting to get in. “Why are we here again?”

“You promised Ben we’d take him so he could see how a caucus works.” Donna reminded  
him.

Josh turned to Ben. “Caucuses don’t work, Ben. Let’s leave now before the bloodletting  
begins.”

Ben would not give way. “You promised. We have to keep our promises.”

“I promised I would help you understand the caucus process, I don’t remember actually  
promising to attend one.” Josh countered.

“But this is going to help me understand them.” Ben argued.

“It really isn’t.” Josh replied. Then they were gaveled into session and asked to stand to  
recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Ben noted, again, that his father skipped the words under  
God. When they were seated again, he asked his dad why he never said the words ‘under  
God’.

“Because it’s inserting religion into Government and it’s wrong.” Josh maintained.

“But it’s part of the pledge!” Ben insisted.

“Not originally.” Josh told him. “The words ‘under God’ were inserted into the pledge in the  
1950’s as a counter to communism in Russia. They should never have been added. How  
do you think Muslims, or people of other faiths feel about pledging their allegiance ‘under  
God’? Or people who don’t believe in God at all? How do you think they like being forced to  
say words they don’t believe are true? Isn’t America supposed to be better than that? More  
inclusive than that? Why they haven’t been-“

“Josh. They’re starting now. How about you save your political speech for afterwards,  
hmmm?” Donna looked pointedly at the people around them who were now staring at them.  
They were already wearing visitor badges, so already they stood out. They really didn’t  
need to draw more attention to themselves. “Yeah, yeah.” Josh agreed and gave everyone  
a jaunty wave.

The speaker at the podium was going on about electing officers while pages of blank  
resolution forms were being distributed. When Ben got his copy he noted that almost  
everyone was filling them out.

“That’s because in the caucus process, everyone that attends can have a say in what  
they’d like to see become a part of the Democratic platform. Maybe some resolution here  
will make it all the way to the convention and become an important issue on the national  
stage.”

“Jesus, Donna. Don’t be filling the kid’s head with fairy tales. I can guarantee you that  
nothing coming from this caucus is going to make it as a national issue.”

“You are a political snob, Joshua. Good ideas can come from anywhere.”

“Uh-huh.” Josh was disbelieving.

“For example…” Donna began.

“Here we go.” Josh muttered and Ben laughed. His dad would make a statement, then his  
mom would bring up some obscure fact that disproved him, then they would argue about it.  
He loved it when they argued. It was fun to watch; at least until the end when they made up.  
Then they kissed and gross stuff like that. When he asked his dad why he always kissed  
mom when they were fighting, he said it was the best way to keep her quiet and then  
laughed.

“In Minnesota, right next door, someone wrote up a resolution at a caucus just like this one.  
It went to the district caucus, then the senate district caucus, and finally to the State caucus  
where it caught the eye of Hubert Humphrey. Hubert Humphrey was so impressed with it  
that he brought it to the attention of President Kennedy who enacted it as…”

“Drum roll please.” Josh interjected.

“The Peace Corps.” Donna finished triumphantly.

“Cool!” Ben responded just as Donna hoped he would. “How do you write one?”

“You pick an issue you care about, and write what you’d like to happen with that issue in  
this spot here.” Josh pointed out on Ben’s sheet. “It’s supposed to start, “Be it resolved  
that…” and then you add what your issue is, and hopefully give a reason for your  
resolution.”

“Try one.” Donna encouraged.

“Okay.” Ben thought for a minute, biting his tongue between his teeth while he figured out  
what to write about. After he finished his resolution he read it to them. “Be it resolved that  
the school year should be reduced to 100 days a year so kids have time to do other stuff.  
Is that good?”

“Well, it’s written correctly, but whether it’s good or not is up to the voters. They’ll read  
each resolution, offer people to speak for it or against it, then vote on whether or not to  
send it on to the next level.” Josh explained.

“This is so cool!” Ben crowed. “Everybody is writing their own resolution here.”

“Democracy in action.” Donna agreed.

“That remains to be seen.” Josh muttered.

The caucus elected their precinct officers and began to go through resolutions.

“Be it resolved that the Democratic Party will fight to increase the level of ethanol subsidies  
to encourage less dependency on foreign oil.” The chair read.

“Get serious!” Josh exclaimed.

“Sir, we have not opened up the floor for discussion for or against this resolution. Please  
wait to add your comments.” The chair reminded him. The person offering the resolution  
spoke about it for a minute before Josh interrupted again.

“That is completely false! Ethanol production is NOT reducing our dependency on oil and  
we now have research to prove it’s more expensive to produce than oil. If you want to  
resolve that we commit to other forms of renewable energy, fine, but ethanol ain’t gonna  
cut it.”

“Joshua!” Donna hissed.

“Sir, if you would like to speak against the resolution, please come down to the podium and  
give everyone your name.”

“Uh…no, thanks…sorry.” Josh mumbled. He remained silent through the next 27  
resolutions, but number 28 put him over the edge. Donna knew it would as soon as she  
heard to read.

“Be it resolved that any Democratic candidate for President will promise to add an  
amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as a union between one man and one  
woman.” The words were barely finished when Josh leapt to his feet.

“Have you all stepped back into the middle ages? What’s next, a resolution promising to  
burn all witches at the stake?”

“Sir, please sit down.” The chair advised Josh, but he was already turning to the people  
around him.

“Have we become a society that no longer gives them same rights and privileges to all  
citizens?”

“Sir, you are out of order.” The chair banged the gavel several times, but Josh paid no  
attention to him.

“Homosexuals aren’t asking anyone else to become gay. They’re not looking for converts,  
people. They want to have the same rights to a sanctioned commitment to one person that  
heterosexuals have, to raise a family without fear of persecution, to be able to live their  
lives without fear that they will be the victims of prejudice or hate crimes at their places of  
work and in their neighborhoods. That’s all. They are not trying to take over the country or  
get you to agree with their lifestyle they just want to live in peace; just like everyone else  
here. If you pass this resolution you’ll be stating, in writing, that the good people of Iowa  
don’t believe in equality for all. That’s the story that will come out tonight when the eyes of  
the world are on Iowa. Think about that.” Josh sat back down and saw Ben’s jaw was on the  
floor and Donna had her hands covering her eyes. When she finally uncovered her face,  
he saw her shaking her head and trying to hold in laughter.

“We are so getting kicked out of here.” Donna said quietly to Ben who was still in shock  
from his father’s impassioned plea.

“Well…” said the precinct chair. “That seems to have taken care of discussion against the  
resolution. Would anyone like to speak in favor of the resolution?” Nothing but crickets.  
“Then I think we’re ready to vote. All those in favor of the resolution as read, say ‘aye’.”  
Again, not a sound as Josh’s eyes searched out the crowd. “All those opposed, same sign.  
“ A resounding chorus of ‘ayes’ were heard. “The resolution does not pass.” The chair  
looked relieved.

“We are now ready to move to our Presidential preference walking caucus.”

“God save me.” Josh muttered and Ben laughed again. This was getting good.

“Each candidate seeking the Democratic nomination has a sign on the walls around us.  
When I indicate it is time to begin , you will have 10 minutes to decide which candidate you  
are supporting and stand underneath that candidate’s sign. At that point, any candidate  
that does not have 15% support of this caucus will be invited to join another candidate's  
group. After another 10 minutes everyone will be asked to freeze next to the candidate  
they support while a final tally is taken that will then be announced to the group.” The chair  
looked around to be sure there were no questions. “Okay, begin.”

Everyone began moving around trying to find their candidates sign and encouraging  
others to come with them. Ben watched in wonder while friends, neighbors, and strangers  
tried to talk each other into supporting this candidate or that one; some conversations  
impassioned, others humorous, and a few that turned acrimonious. Finally the time was  
called, and Ben was thrilled to see that the most voters had congregated around the sign  
for Sam Seaborn. Then the signs for the candidates who didn’t have enough support were  
taken down and the chair told them to start their second and final walk. Pandemonium  
broke out as the remaining candidate’s supporters begged and pleaded with the  
unpledged delegates to join them.

There were fast and furious debates with each delegate about why one of the remaining  
candidates was most worthy of their support now that their first choice candidate had been  
eliminated. Ben couldn’t even take it all in. He turned to his dad with a huge grin.

“This is great! Why don’t you like this? Everyone is debating who’s the best and why.” Ben  
asked his dad.

“Well…maybe this part isn’t so bad.” Josh acknowledged and rubbed his son’s shoulder.  
Together they caught a snippet of a debate alongside them.

“I don’t care if he’s from California. He’s done good things there and Jed Bartlet picked him  
for his senior staff so that’s saying something!” one person said

“You pick Seaborn and we’ll have the White House filled with fruits and nuts.” The second  
person replied.

“Get your head out of your ass, Jeffrey. He’s a strong leader and he’ll do great things if we  
give him a chance. Look how he turned the schools around out there. Don’t you want  
better schools for Mary and Chris?”

“Of course I do.” Jeffrey retorted.

“Then do something about it. Seaborn has proven he can do the job, now get over here  
and be counted with us before you end up voting for Nader again or some fool thing.”  
Jeffrey paused, then with a confident swagger, joined the Seaborn group.

“No, this part isn’t bad at all.” Josh admitted when Donna joined them. Time was called, the  
votes were tallied, and as they left the caucus site, Ben got his dad’s cell phone.

“Uncle Sam? You won! You won in the caucus we went to. It was so great! These people  
were arguing for you and dad shot down this totally crappy resolution. I want to go to  
another one.” Ben got it all out in one breath before Sam even got a chance to respond.

“We’ve created a monster.” Josh complained good-naturedly.

“Yes, but a well informed monster.” Donna tousled Ben’s hair while he continued to  
bombard Sam with all the details.

“At least we got through caucus day in Iowa.” Josh replied. “Now…it’s on to New England,  
the true seat of power.”

“Great, then you can introduce Ben to the primary system.” Donna teased.

The End.


End file.
